Philippines Investment Opportunity: The Pili Nut

Investing in Philippine pili nut trees might be an overlooked opportunity due to the lack of media exposure.

Philippines – February 1, 2010 – “One of the best Philippines investments might be the organic farms growing pili nuts; pili trees can give a harvest for up to 100 years” according to Will Irwin who is currently writing his next book ‘Additional Income for Expats in the Philippines’. It is viewed as a good alternative to the usually offered real estate investments like condotels and apartments. Projected ROI is expected to be higher also; pili nuts are one of the highest profit products exported from the Philippines.

The basic idea boils down to the fact that the Philippines has all that is required to produce extremely high yields in agriculture; what is lacking is mostly the implementation of the latest know-how and technologies. Agro-business in general has created one of the richest people in this country.

A group of ‘non-Filipinos’ have made a start with a 40 hectare organic pili nut farm. Technical know-how is provided by foreign experts, researchers from Philippine Universities and representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Industry etc.

They are looking for investors to expand their business and ultimately anyone would be allowed to invest in one hectare or more of the ‘farm’. This means that not only the ‘bigger players’ can make a profit but really any expat or retiree; this provides for a nice monthly supplemental income.

The projects have full support of the Philippine Government because it’s ‘Green/Eco’ and brings development to rural areas; Eco-tourism included.

Pili nut trees (Canarium ovatum Engl.) are one of the most typhoon-resistant species and grow in tropical Asia and the Pacific. In the Philippines only the Bicol Region is known to provide a suitable soil and climate. Investors are aiming for the island Tablas (Romblon) because it is much less typhoon-effected. Pili nuts are mainly an export product.

Retirement Villages for Americans, Europeans and other nationals are already being build near the projected farms; the whole location is developing very fast meaning great appreciation of real estate prices (whether residential of agricultural land); also due to increasing (Eco-) tourism.

Local Filipino farmers are not negatively affected because most products are for export plus they benefit from the fact that the retirement villages and organic farms create jobs and provide non-profit support for them also.

Will Irwin is the author of several books about ‘Living in the Philippines’ for expats and retirees and is an appointed consultant for the ‘Organic Pili Nuts Farm Investment’ project. He can be contacted at http://www.sibonga.com/contact_us.htm.